50 Words, 1 Sentence: Richobel
by ericajanebarry
Summary: Inspired by a very old blog post I stumbled upon, the premise of which was a list of fifty one-word prompts, each one answered in a story of one sentence. Perhaps unusual but may give rise to future fics and/or updates of ongoing ones. Some responses are canon; others are period AU or modern AU. Some predate Richard and Isobel's acquaintance. Ratings vary by prompt, K to M.


**A/N: Some time ago, whilst looking for Richobel fic I hadn't read before, I came across a blog entry (not on FF) in which a writer had taken a list of fifty one-word prompts and written a story of one sentence for each of them. I tried writing a prompt series several years ago and it was a cluster of epic proportions, but I liked the idea of this. My words came from a list on the blog Writers Gonna Write. I've done my first 25, and as some are Christmas-themed I figured I would post them while most of us are still in that frame of mind. This may be one of those things that only I, as the writer, enjoy, but the fact that I _do_ enjoy it prompted me to share. These cover (or will cover) Richobel in many iterations: canon, period, modern, pre-acquaintance, and the ratings vary from K to M. Some of them might give rise to new fics or to coming chapters of ongoing ones. **

**Wishing you a belated merry Christmas and a happy New Year!**

 **xx,  
~ejb~**

* * *

#1 — Sometimes

He forgets, sometimes, that they aren't twenty-five; the way they talk and laugh (and _love)_ well into the night; the way they set out to do something small like driving to Scarborough and end up having adventures the likes of which neither one has had since many a year ago.

#2 — Believe

He makes her believe that all of the loss and loneliness she's endured were for the express purpose of bringing them together, so that she would appreciate each kiss and every glance; the way that he snores with enough force to raise the rafters; his single-minded devotion to her for the precious gifts they are.

#3 — Gratitude

On this Christmas Eve, with snowdrifts piling up outside the window, a fire roaring in the grate, the pup curled up at their feet, her grandson asleep in her arms, and the warmth of her husband's body surrounding her, she is overwhelmed by a profound sense of gratitude.

#4 — Love

He knew it was love from the first time she challenged him; from the moment he took the vial of adrenalin from her impeccably-manicured hand and shared his belief that they would sink or swim together, his heart set itself on her, leaving him powerless to change it.

#5 — Music

He'd once thought it a pity that she'd chosen not to share her gift of music with the world, but now he takes immeasurable delight in the fact that only he sees her sat at the piano: her posture perfect, eyes closed, face upturned; the look of total peace that is written on her face as she coaxes magic from the ebony and ivory keys is meant for him alone to witness.

#6 — Trust

She never expected to have to learn to put her trust in love again after losing Reginald; he was certain that she could never be trusted after betraying him when she pushed for the hospital merger and then, to add insult to injury, married Dickie Grey; they have both been proven wrong.

#7 — Tradition

Much of the tradition surrounding Christmas baffles him, since it wasn't celebrated in his country when he was a lad, but the first time they sit in front of _their_ tree and he watches her eyes light up brighter than the fairy lights, he thinks he finally gets it.

#8 — Snow

She still says she hates winter, but he's never seen anyone have as much fun as she's doing, making snow angels with George in the back garden, hooting with laughter when MacTavish, only the top of his head visible above the drifts, ambushes them both, demanding a cuddle.

#9 — Hope

When Reggie died, she lost her innocent faith that good fortune would always follow good people; when Fiona was gone she gave up hope that a force called "good" existed at all.

#10 — White

The ground that was bare just hours before is blanketed in white on Christmas morning, and when little George wakes up and sees it they can hardly get him to eat a piece of toast before he grabs them both by the hand and insists they all go out to play.

#11 — Adorable

She'd never tell him so, but she thinks it's adorable the way that the tops of his ears go red when she pays him a compliment.

#12 — Pattern

She knew that she fancied him in plaid; he was a Scot after all, but what she never bargained for was the way that his blue and grey houndstooth-pattern cap made his eyes look absolutely crystalline.

#13 — Red

In his profession, he learned long ago to associate the colour red with portentous things: ambulance lightbars and blood, but in his marriage it has come to symbolise another thing entirely: Isobel in LaPerla.

#14 — Dance

He'd learnt from his mam as a lad, but he'd never really had much use for it until the evening when he'd finally got up the courage to ask Isobel to be his wife and to dance with him in the conservatory at Beningbrough Hall; just the two of them and the twilight, swaying to music carried on the breeze.

#15 — Captive

He's addicted to the thrill of it: sitting captive on the edge of the tub; she, wielding the shaving brush and straight razor as she kneels before him, reading his stubble the riot act, the ridge of her collarbone and the soft curve of her breasts level with his lips.

#16 — Watch

He pretends not to watch her at the AGA on Saturday mornings, alternately humming and singing softly with the radio, her hips swaying gently with the music as she fixes breakfast.

#17 — Flee

They sit together on long summer evenings, side by side in their favourite patio chairs, hand in hand as the shadows flee away and darkness blankets the landscape, and think how easily this life could have eluded them.

#18 — Simple

It's the silliest kinds of things about the fact that they're together that get to him; simple ones like the way her footprints on the bathroom rug, when he goes in to clean his teeth, remind him that she's here, she's _here, she's here!_

#19 — Seek

Theirs is a king size bed and if they fancied George and the dog sleeping in with them every night there'd still be ample room for the rest of North Yorkshire, yet each seems to seek out the other in the night, lying side-by-side like two sardines in a can.

#20 — Coffee

Sweet as she is, she can be a right bear in the morning, but if he's patient —if he sets her coffee down on the bedside table and runs his fingers through her hair— he is often rewarded with sexy, sleepy kisses and an, "I knew there was a reason I kept you around."

#21 — Breathtaking

The swimming pool had been his idea; while she had thought it impractical, it was the only frivolous thing he'd ever wanted in his life, and as she watches him swim laps in the early morning light, his form positively breathtaking, she'd spend them both broke if it meant more of these moments.

#22 — Hands

His mouth is hot on her skin, his eyes dark with need as he undresses her, his confident air betrayed by the shaking of his hands; she lies down, opening her arms to him, and quiets him without a sound.

#23 — Ocean

"Fly on, little bird, and be free," she whispered brokenly as she released Fiona's ashes on the cliff side overlooking the ocean.

#24 — Brick

She loves this house because it _lives,_ carrying generations of memories within its walls, like those of her, aged three, sat on Nan's hip, insistent that they sing "The Road to the Isles" whilst Nan laid the brick for the fireplace.

#25 — Fire

He loves her best like this: bare beneath the white bedsheets, the fire casting her skin in amber hues and glinting golden in her hair.


End file.
